picture of rosemary in bloom from Wikipedia
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I’m a huge fan of scientific research that can help us better understand the mechanisms of the body and how we can change our health in positive ways with simple choices. But I’m an even bigger fan when science proves that remedies used for thousands of years can indeed have a dramatic impact on our health.
I first mentioned rosemary oil when I wrote about my battle with gastroparesis. It was a godsend, and was my absolute go to remedy until I figured out a few more pieces to that puzzle. I had no idea though until I did more research how fantastic this inexpensive aromatic oil is and all it was doing! No wonder it improved my health!
Rosemary helps digestion
Helping me with nerve pain when I was eating wasn’t the only benefit I was getting taking rosemary oil when I ate. It can help relieve spasms in the intestinal tract. Rosemary helps the release of bile which is critical for the breakdown and absorption of nutrients, especially fats and fat soluble vitamins. Waste products are also secreted into bile to be removed through the colon. So besides leading to less bloating, better digestion and toxin removal, rosemary protects the liver. It is a potent antioxidant, which leads me to rosemary’s next powerful perk…
Rosemary can help kill cancer
Inflammation and cancer go together. This study explored rosemary’s anti-proliferative effects on leukemia and breast cancer and anti-inflammatory effects. This amazing study lays out may different types of cancer and says proliferation of cancer was “significantly inhibited.” It covers colon, pancreatic, breast, prostate, ovarian, cervical, liver and lung and the mechanisms on how rosemary inhibits them. I was floored by how many different cancers it could be used against.
There isn’t a person alive that hasn’t been touched by the devastating effects of cancer, whether with family or friends. If it can help inhibit that many different types of cancer, (and that is only in those particular studies) it will always be in my supplement arsenal.
Rosemary lengthens telomeres
If killing cancer wasn’t enough, how about extending your longevity?
Telomeres are the “caps” on the end of our DNA strands. Kind of like the end of a shoelace. Each time a cell replicates, these caps get shorter. Most age related diseases are associated with telomere shortening, because once the telomere is gone, a cell can no longer replicate, which leads to our body systems deteriorating. Just like shoelaces that lose their ends quickly unravel and can’t be tied properly, so do our chromosomes. Protecting our chromosomes is critical in avoiding age related diseases.
Rosemary can help lengthen telomeres! It can reverse the shortening of the caps on our DNA. Everyone’s looking for the fountain of youth and it might be as simple as taking or applying the oil from an evergreen shrub that has been used medicinally and in cooking for thousands of years.
Dr. Joshua Plant studied several essential oils to discover if there were some that could help preserve our telomeres. Rosemary came out as one of the winners.
Rosemary can help the brain
So if we can help avoid cancer and increase our longevity with rosemary, what does it matter if we don’t have good cognitive function? The rate of dementia doubles every five years after 65. Scary! Rosemary helps suppress the activity of acetylcholinesterase which is the enzyme that breaks down acetylcholine in the brain. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that the nervous system uses to activate muscles.
What about Alzheimer’s? Alz.org states that
“1 in 3 seniors dies with Alzheimer’s or another dementia. It kills more than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined.”
Our brain health is just as important as the rest of our body.
Rosemary can help prevent beta-amyloid plaque in the brain which leads to Alzheimer’s.
I’m going avoid cancer and keep my brain cells too!!
Rosemary can help with anxiety
So we’ve covered digestion, cancer, the brain…still worried?
Rosemary can help with that too!
This study shows that rosemary can help with anxiety, depression and sleep quality. In a double blind, randomized control trial, participants received rosemary extract for a month. Anxiety, depression and sleep were measured before and after the study. The participants that took the rosemary had reduced anxiety and depression as well as slept better. With anxiety and depression at all time highs which in turn results in poor sleep, this seems like a grand slam solution since it hits on all three issues.
I’m definitely going to keep using rosemary now that I know how much it’s protecting and healing my body, brain and mental health!
You can find the brand of rosemary oil I’ve had so much success with here:
AmeoRosemaryProductProfile_US_EN_11_16
https://www.zijainternational.com/shop/cart?referral=2751765&products[177038]=1&country=CA
Here’s a blend with rosemary that changes the gene expression in our skin. Longer telomeres=less wrinkles! With the addition of Ylang ylang, it smells amazing! AGX Skin.
AGXSkinProductProfile_US_EN_11_16
https://www.zijainternational.com/shop/cart?referral=2751765&products[177249]=1&country=CA